NBA talks break off without deal; players say they plan to regroup

View full sizeAP Photo/John MinchilloNational Basketball Association Players Association president Derek Fisher (center), Maurice Evans (left) and Billy Hunter (right), during a news conference after a marathon meeting with owners early Thursday in New York.

NEW YORK -- NBA players broke off negotiations with the league Thursday night, saying there had not been enough progress to get a deal done to end the lockout.

The league offered the players a revised offer after nearly 11 hours of bargaining, but union president Derek Fisher said it doesn't address all the necessary system issues that are important to the players.

"There's not enough progress to get a deal done," Fisher said. "That's the disappointing part. We want to get back on the court."

Now, the union will regroup, talk to their player representatives, figure out what to do next and possibly resume negotiations with the league next week.

"Obviously, we would like to keep negotiating and find a way to get a deal done," Fisher said. "But right now it's not that time."

Beyond the salary cap system issues that divide the sides, union executive director Billy Hunter said there were six pages of what he called ancillary items, such as the draft age and the commissioner's disciplinary rights, that still must be addressed before a deal.

Hunter said they would try to bring the player representatives to New York by Monday or Tuesday to decide what the next step is, and whether the current offer is acceptable.

"It's not the greatest proposal in the world, but I have an obligation to at least present it to our membership and so that's what we're going to do," Hunter said.

It will be better than the one that Stern had waiting: a 53-47 split of revenues in the owners' favor, a flex cap with a hard ceiling, and salary rollbacks.